Introduction to Microbiology |

Summary

This introductory lecture on microbiology covers the fundamental concepts and types of the field. It begins by acknowledging the pioneers, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur, and defines microbiology as the study of microorganisms, often too small to see with the naked eye. The lecture outlines various microbial groups, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and more, and distinguishes between cellular and acellular organisms, as well as prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It also delves into the definitions of microbiology based on size, techniques, study criteria, and microbial types, concluding with an overview of basic and applied microbiology, highlighting its diverse applications in fields such as agriculture, food, and medicine.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are often too small to be seen with the naked eye.
• 👨‍🔬 Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is recognized as the 'Father of Microbiology', while Louis Pasteur is known as the 'Father of Modern Microbiology'.
• 🔬 Microbes encompass a wide range including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and algae, not just the commonly known bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• 🌱 Microorganisms can be classified as cellular or acellular, with viruses being the acellular group lacking a cell wall and membrane.
• 🔬 Cellular microorganisms can be further divided into unicellular or multicellular forms, such as bacteria being unicellular and fungi being multicellular.
• 🧬 Prokaryotic cells, like those of bacteria, lack a nuclear membrane, whereas eukaryotic cells, found in fungi, algae, protozoa, and helminths, have a nuclear envelope.
• 🔍 Microbiology can be defined in various ways based on size, techniques, study criteria, and types of microbes.
• 📚 Basic microbiology focuses on gaining general knowledge about different types of microbes, while applied microbiology involves the practical use of these organisms in various fields.
• 🌱 Agricultural microbiology utilizes microbes for biopesticides and biofertilizers, while food microbiology is concerned with controlling spoilage and fermentation processes.
• 🏭 Industrial microbiology is involved in large-scale production of organic acids, antibiotics, enzymes, and vitamins.
• 🏥 Medical microbiology studies microbial pathogens, their diseases, and symptoms, with a current focus on understanding pathogens like the coronavirus.

Q & A

Who is considered the father of microbiology?

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is considered the father of microbiology, and sometimes he is also known as the father of old microbiology.

Who is recognized as the father of modern microbiology?

Louis Pasteur is recognized as the father of modern microbiology.

What is the basic definition of microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms or microbes, which are organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

What are the different types of microorganisms covered in microbiology?

Microbiology covers various microbial groups including bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and viruses.

How can microorganisms be classified based on their cellular structure?

Microorganisms can be classified as cellular or acellular. Cellular microorganisms are made up of cells and can be further classified as either prokaryotic or eukaryotic based on the presence or absence of a nuclear membrane.

What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells lack a nuclear membrane, while eukaryotic cells have a nuclear envelope surrounding their genetic material.

Which microorganisms are considered unicellular and which are multicellular?

Most microorganisms are unicellular, such as bacteria. However, some are multicellular, like fungi, which can form large structures.

What is the role of viruses in microbiology?

Viruses are acellular microorganisms that consist of a protein coat, known as a capsid, and genetic material in the form of RNA or DNA. They are studied in microbiology for their structure, replication, and interaction with host organisms.

What are the two broad categories of microbiology?

The two broad categories of microbiology are basic microbiology, which focuses on understanding the fundamental aspects of microorganisms, and applied microbiology, which involves the practical use of microorganisms in various fields.

What is the significance of applied microbiology in different industries?

Applied microbiology is significant as it uses microorganisms for various practical applications across industries such as agriculture, food, dairy, industrial production, medical, textile, and environmental sectors.

Can you provide an example of how microbiology is applied in the medical field?

In the medical field, microbiology is applied to study microbial pathogens, understand the diseases they cause, and develop treatments and vaccines. An example is the study of the coronavirus and its impact on human health.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Microbiology and its Pioneers

The first paragraph introduces the topic of microbiology, outlining the lecture's focus on defining microbiology, its types, and its pioneers. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is recognized as the father of microbiology, while Louis Pasteur is known as the father of modern microbiology. The paragraph emphasizes the study of microorganisms, which are typically too small to be seen with the naked eye, and introduces various microbial groups including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and acellular entities like viruses. It also touches on the cellular structure of microorganisms, distinguishing between unicellular and multicellular organisms, as well as prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

05:01

🔬 Classification of Microorganisms and Cellular Structures

This paragraph delves deeper into the classification of microorganisms based on their cellular composition, discussing both cellular organisms, which include bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, and helminths, and acellular entities like viruses. It explains the difference between unicellular and multicellular organisms, highlighting that most microorganisms are unicellular, with exceptions like fungi. The paragraph also clarifies the distinction between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, using bacteria and actinomycetes as examples of prokaryotes and the rest of the mentioned groups as eukaryotes. The role of viruses as nucleoprotein particles and the structure of the coronavirus are also briefly described.

10:02

📚 Defining Microbiology: Criteria and Perspectives

The third paragraph discusses various ways to define microbiology, presenting four criteria: size, techniques, study criteria, and types of microbes. It explains the historical definition of microbiology based on the size of organisms, noting exceptions like the discover of large bacteria visible to the naked eye. The paragraph also describes the technical aspects unique to microbiology, such as culture medium, sterilization, and isolation techniques. It further defines microbiology as the study of the structure, distribution, physiology, and metabolism of microorganisms and concludes with a definition based on the types of microbes studied in the field.

15:03

🌱 Branches of Microbiology: Basic and Applied

The final paragraph outlines the different branches of microbiology, categorizing them into basic and applied microbiology. Basic microbiology focuses on gaining general knowledge about various types of microbes, including bacteriology, mycology, algology, virology, protozoology, pneumatology, and helminthology. Applied microbiology, on the other hand, involves the practical use of microorganisms in various fields such as agriculture, food, dairy, industrial, medical, textile, exo-, and environmental microbiology. The speaker encourages viewers to continue learning about microbiology to become successful microbiologists.

Keywords

💡Microbiology

Microbiology is the scientific study of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic life forms. It is central to the video's theme as it serves as the overarching discipline being discussed. The script introduces microbiology as the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye and delves into various aspects and sub-disciplines of microbiology.

💡Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is recognized as the 'Father of Microbiology' in the script. His significant contributions to the field were through his development of the microscope, which allowed for the observation of microorganisms for the first time. His work laid the foundation for the study of microbiology.

💡Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur is referred to as the 'Father of Modern Microbiology' in the script. He is known for his experiments that demonstrated that microorganisms come from other microorganisms and do not arise spontaneously. Pasteur's work on germ theory is fundamental to the understanding of microbiology today.

💡Microbes

Microbes, short for microorganisms, are the focus of microbiology. The script explains that these are organisms that are not visible to the naked eye and require instrumentation for study. Microbes encompass a wide range of life forms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are central to the video's educational content.

💡Microbial Groups

The script outlines various 'microbial groups' that are part of microbiology, including bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and viruses. These groups represent the diversity of microorganisms studied within the field, each with unique characteristics and roles in ecosystems and human life.

💡Cellular and Acellular

The script distinguishes between 'cellular' and 'acellular' microorganisms. Cellular organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are made up of cells, while acellular entities like viruses lack a cellular structure. Understanding this distinction is crucial for grasping the fundamental differences in the biology and life cycles of microorganisms.

💡Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic

The video script explains the difference between 'prokaryotic' and 'eukaryotic' cells. Prokaryotic cells, like those of bacteria, lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles, whereas eukaryotic cells, found in fungi, algae, and animals, have a nucleus enclosed by a nuclear membrane. This distinction is key to understanding the internal structure and complexity of microorganisms.

💡Unicellular and Multicellular

The script discusses microorganisms that can be either 'unicellular', consisting of a single cell, or 'multicellular', made up of many cells. This concept is important for understanding the organization and complexity of microbial life, with examples given such as bacteria being unicellular and fungi being multicellular.

💡Applied Microbiology

Applied microbiology is a branch of microbiology that focuses on the practical use of microorganisms. The script mentions various applications, including agricultural, food, dairy, industrial, medical, and environmental microbiology. It is the practical application of the knowledge gained from basic microbiology to solve real-world problems and improve human life.

💡Basic Microbiology

Basic microbiology is the study of microorganisms for the sake of gaining fundamental knowledge. The script describes it as encompassing various sub-disciplines such as bacteriology, mycology, virology, and others. It forms the foundation upon which applied microbiology is built, focusing on understanding the structure, distribution, physiology, and metabolism of microorganisms.

💡Viruses

Viruses are a unique type of acellular microorganism discussed in the script. They are not considered living organisms by all definitions because they require a host cell to replicate. The script uses the coronavirus (COVID-19) as an example, highlighting the importance of understanding viruses in the context of both basic and applied microbiology, especially in medical microbiology.

Highlights

Introduction to the lecture on basic and applied microbiology with three main headings: definition, types, and history.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek recognized as the father of microbiology, with Lewis Pasteur known as the father of modern microbiology.

Microbiology defined as the study of microorganisms or microbes, which are typically not visible to the naked eye.

Microbial groups studied in microbiology include bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and algae.

Microorganisms are classified as cellular or acellular, with most being unicellular and some being multicellular.

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are differentiated by the presence or absence of a nuclear membrane.

Bacteria and actinomycetes are prokaryotic, while fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, and helminths are eukaryotic.

Differentiation between the roles and characteristics of various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and helminths.

The definition of microbiology based on size, which includes organisms less than one millimeter in diameter.

Rogers' definition of microbiology based on the use of specific techniques such as culture media, sterilization, and isolation.

Microbiology defined by study criteria, focusing on the structure, distribution, physiology, and metabolism of microorganisms.

A definition of microbiology that includes the study of various types of microbes like bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, helminths, and viruses.

Basic microbiology covers general information about microorganisms and their study under specific disciplines.

Applied microbiology involves the practical use of microorganisms in various fields such as agriculture, food, dairy, industry, medical, textile, exo-, and environmental microbiology.

The importance of understanding the types of microbiology for a comprehensive study of microorganisms and their applications.

The channel's focus on delivering both basic and applied microbiological aspects in upcoming videos.

Encouragement for viewers to continue watching the channel to update their knowledge on microbiology and become successful microbiologists.

Transcripts

hello everyone welcome to basic and

applied microbiology classes

so before moving ahead i am starting

about the introduction part let's take

today's lecture outline

this lecture i am going to deliver in

three headings first what is

microbiology second how we can define

microbiology

and what are the types of microbiology

so if we are interested in knowing about

microbiology

let's first talk about father of

microbiology because just because of

these scientists just because of

the father of any subject that

discipline has been introduced and

always father of any subject have made

significant contributions in that

particular field here we are interested

to know about microbiology subject so

you should know that antoni von

luwenhock is considered as father of

microbiology and sometimes in some books

you can also find he is known as father

of old microbiology and if we talk about

lewis pasture lewis pasture is known as

father of modern microbiology

then what is microbiology

in layman language or in our first uh

learning class if we are going for do it

an introduction on microbiology of

course uh it will be coming in our mind

first that what is microbiology

always answer is what study of

microorganisms or microbes so if we can

say it is not properly defined

or well defined definition is it is not

but in simple language or a common

language we can say yes study of

microbes is microbiology

and so ah now next question can be this

what are microbes most of the times we

can define that microbiology deals with

those

kind of microbes which we cannot

visualize by naked eyes so of course

still exceptions are there that i will

be discussing but here in general

we can explain like this that yes most

of the microbes are tiny they cannot be

visualized and we need some

instrumentation ad to study their

morphology

so next coming towards what are these

microbes

so you should know

here i have explained different type of

microbial groups

which are

included in the study of microbiology

but you should know whenever somebody is

asking what are the type of

microorganisms so most of the times you

will be finding

students always answer like this

bacteria fungi viruses

they are not covering the complete list

of microbial groups which include

bacteria fungi

allergy protozoa nematodes helmins and

viruses so

first we should update our information

that microbiology covers various

microbial groups what i have tried to

listed out here next we should know

if we are knowing about microorganisms

another thing we should know as a part

of introduction

these microorganisms are cellular or

acellular then you should know of course

we always know that living

organisms are made up of cells but

remember

microorganisms can be classified on the

basis of their cell into two types

cellular and acellular now what are

cellular

if cellular means made up of cell next

question is what they are unicellular or

multicellular they are made up of single

cell or many cells then you should

update your knowledge

most of the microorganisms are

unicellular but at the same time

other are also multicellular for example

bacteria if i talk about it is

unicellular and if i talk about fungi it

is multicellular so they can be of both

types next you should know prokaryotic

or eukaryotic

yes if cell is there then cell can can

be of two types what is prokaryotic and

what is eukaryotic we should update our

knowledge prokaryote is what

in this case we are having a cell here

simply i have drawn cells so you can see

that in a

nuclear material is placed in the center

of the cell and in b nuclear material is

placed in the center but it is

surrounded by a nuclear membrane or

nuclear envelope then you should know

the a cell in which no nuclear envelope

or membrane is there that is known as

prokaryotic cell

and b in which nuclear envelope or

membrane is there that is known as

eukaryotic cell then we can say

now we are updated with this that what

are prokaryotes and what are eukaryotes

always students are having confusion so

it is now clear prokaryotes without

membrane and eukaryotes with membrane

now question comes

what kind of microorganisms are

prokaryotic and what kind of

microorganisms are eukaryotic that i

will be updating you but let's talk

about a cellular so this was about

cellular made up of cell acellular which

are non-cellular which are not made up

of any kind of

cell they are called as a cellular now

we are again coming to this list

you should know among these microbial

groups what are cellular so you should

know starting from bacteria to helmets

these all are cellular and when we talk

about viruses only viruses among this

list

is

acellular group

then you should know

why we are saying viruses are acellular

because viruses are not having any

distinguished

cell wall and cell membrane

viruses are also known as nucleoprotein

particles they are having only protein

caught capsid and in the center it is

having what

nuclear material that is rna

this figure is of what which virus this

is of corona virus covid19 you can see

here this is the outer capsid protein

code and inner

this is rna molecule so only proteins

and rna are making this

virus that is a cellular form

now we are talking about cellular so all

these are cellular starting from

bacteria to helminths

now question comes whether they are

unicellular or multicellular then you

should know

some are unicellular and some are

multicellular then we are talking about

prokaryotes or eukaryotes

except bacteria and actinomycitis which

are prokaryotes remaining all type of

groups are eukaryotes

so

bacteria and actinomicity actinomycetes

they are prokaryotes they are not having

any true nuclear membrane and remaining

if we talk about fungi algae protozoa

nematodes helmands they are eukaryotes

so this is about the type of

microorganisms

now bacteria everybody is aware single

side organisms these are playing

significant role

uh they can be skokai circular rod

shaped fungi filamentous we know

actinomycitis

they are actually an intermediate type

of organisms between bacteria and fungi

but on molecular biology basis we place

them along with bacteria so

actinomycitis sharing characters of both

bacteria and fungi algae we all know

photosynthetic initially it was a part

of botany but again it is a type of

microorganisms so never get confused but

algae always belongs to what we know it

is sharing some characters with

plants but it has been placed under

microbial groups protozoans mostly

unicellular they can be free living as

well as parasitic nematodes again they

are also known as parasitic worms but

they can also live freely most of the

nematodes are also known to cause

diseases in

plants helmets if i talk about helmets

again

parasitic worms category it is off so

this is all about the introduction part

on microorganisms that yes if we are

saying microbiology is the study of

microorganisms then what are the type of

microorganisms now we are much clearer

about it

now i am coming to the definition part

how we can define microbiology so

earlier i have discussed that what is

microbiology what kind of microbes we

can cover under this discipline now we

should know if we are sitting among

scientific communities or we are going

to attempt some microbiology exam so

under those conditions we need to use

some scientific or more biological terms

to give appropriate definition so for

that

to make you understand about definitions

part i have introduced four criteria

here so what are these criterias one is

on the basis of size

other is on the basis of techniques and

third is on the basis of study criteria

and fourth is on the basis of microbes

type so let's talk about on the basis of

size so you should know this is an old

way of defining micro microbiology

according to this we can say that

microbiology is a branch of biology that

deals with the study of microorganisms

which are having size less than one

millimeter in diameter

but remember while less than one

millimeter in diameter because this is

the size what we cannot actually see by

naked eyes

this was an older definition because now

various exceptions have been introduced

to this

nowadays

such kind of bacteria have been

discovered if i name a few thio

margarita

which we can visualize by

naked eyes also we don't need any

microscope to see to visualize those uh

bacteria so you should know it means

they are having size more than one mm in

diameter they are not falling in this

range

second if i talk about fungi there is no

need of microscope to see fungi if we

are not talking about the structure

fungi we can visually observe if it is

growing on the bread like bread mold

alga we can easily see on water bodies

so it means this is a kind of older

definition but still i have included it

because in many books

you can find even then this definition

has been included for

microbiology

definition part

now on the basis of techniques if i say

according to rogers tenure microbiology

is a technique which use special type of

techniques like

culture medium sterilization techniques

and isolation techniques to study the

growth

and types of various kind of

microorganisms so because you should

know why on the basis of techniques i

have written here as a separate criteria

because culture mediums generalization

isolation these are only used in

microbiology not in any other discipline

if i talk about because culture medium

without culture medium we cannot allow

the growth of microorganisms

without sterilization we cannot ensure

that nutrient solution what we are using

to allow the growth of microorganism is

free from any other living object and

isolation that is from a mixed

population separating out a particular

type of bacteria in which we or microbes

in which we are actually interested so

this is on the basis of techniques third

is on the basis of study criteria so you

should know

structure

this microbiology again we can define

like this that microbiology is a branch

of biology which deals with the study of

structure distribution physiology and

metabolism of microorganisms

and fourth definition what

this i have earlier covered in the form

of microbes types you can also define

like microbiology can be defined as the

branch of biology

which includes the study of various type

of microbes like bacteria fungi algae

protozoa nematodes helmins and viruses

so any one of these definitions whatever

you found find easier you can choose it

to define microbiology

now

i'm coming towards the last heading of

my today's lecture

on introduction part what are the types

of microbiology so microbiology is of

various types and we can broadly

categorize in it into two types one is

basic microbiology another one is

applied microbiology now we should know

what is basic microbiology

basic microbiology actually covers just

to gain general information about

various types of microbes like study of

bacteria which is under

bacteriology study of fungi that is

mycology study of algae psychology study

of viruses virology study of protozoa

protozoology study of nematodes

pneumatology now second is what applied

microbiology applied when we are using

the various kind of microorganisms which

have earlier been studied by their

specific discipline like bacteria have

been studied by bacteriology

characterized

their functions has been studied

the physiology and the genome everything

has been explored well now we can use

these microorganisms for their applied

part or to achieve various applications

like

agricultural microbiology for

agricultural applications like if i talk

about bio pesticides bio fertilizers

food microbiology for food applications

to control food spoilage organisms to

use organisms to carry out fermentation

fungal fermentation bacterial

fermentations curd cumins caffeine many

type of fermentations are there

dairy microbiology if i talk about which

is going to mainly deal with milk and

milk products microbiology then

industrial microbiology if i talk about

production of organic acid production of

antibiotics production of enzymes

vitamins on large scale under

is under industrial microbiology medical

microbiology

that deals with the study of various

kind of

microbial pathogens what kind of

diseases they can cause what are what

are their symptoms like if i talk about

a recent case of coronavirus so that is

what medical microbiology

textile microbiology and textile

industry microbes are used

so this is about textile microbiology

exomicrobiology study of microorganisms

in space that is exomicrobiology

environmental microbiology environmental

microbes study of microorganisms in air

water soil that is

environmental microbiology so this is

about

different types of microbiology covered

under two broad categories basic and

applied microbiology and under this

uh channel you will be finding

basic and applied microbiological

aspects

in our upcoming videos

thank you so much keep watching my

channel and update your knowledge

on microbiology and be a successful

microbiologist

thanks a lot